This invention relates in general to a device that is supported on a movable article for the purpose of sensing one or more operating characteristics of such article as it is moved during use. In particular, this invention relates to a fixture for quickly and easily supporting such a sensing device, or a portion thereof, on a variety of differently sized and shaped articles and for protectively enclosing such a sensing device when the article is moved during use.
Many mechanical systems include one or more articles that are physically moved in some manner during use. For example, a torque transmitting shaft assembly is commonly used for transferring rotational power from a source of rotational power to a rotatably driven mechanism. One example of a torque transmitting shaft assembly is a vehicular driveshaft assembly that provides a rotatable driving connection between an output shaft of a vehicle transmission that is driven by the vehicle engine and an input shaft of an axle assembly for rotatably driving the vehicle wheels. To accomplish this, a typical vehicle driveshaft assembly includes a hollow cylindrical driveshaft tube having a pair of end fittings secured to the opposite ends thereof. The end fittings are usually embodied as tube yokes that support respective cross members thereon. The cross members cooperate with respective end fittings provided on the output shaft of the transmission and the input shaft of the axle assembly to form respective universal joint assemblies. Such universal joint assemblies provide a rotatable driving connection between the output shaft of the vehicle transmission, the driveshaft tube, and the input shaft of an axle assembly, even though the rotational axes of these three members are usually not co-axially aligned during use.
In mechanical systems of this general type, it is sometimes necessary or desirable to sense one or more operating characteristics of the article as it is moved during use. For example, in the context of the above-described vehicular driveshaft assembly, it may be desirable to sense the magnitude of the torque that is applied to the driveshaft tube during operation. The operating characteristics that are sensed can be evaluated to generate a variety of useful information, such as determining the life span of the article, points of anticipated fatigue or failure on the article, the amount of usage of the article, and other performance-related information.
The sensing of the operating characteristics of the movable article usually involves providing one or more sensors on or adjacent to the article as it is moved during use. The sensors generating signals that are representative of the operating characteristics desired to be sensed. The operating characteristic signals from the sensors can either be stored in a storage device for subsequent retrieval and evaluation or be transmitted by a telemetry device to a remote controller for storage and/or evaluation.
In some instances, the various sensors, storage devices, and telemetry devices are permanently secured to the article being studied. However, in other instances, it is undesirable to permanently secure such structures to the article being studied. To address this, it is known to provide a fixture for temporarily supporting such a sensing device, or a portion thereof, on the article during the period of time when it is desired to sense the operating characteristics thereof. However, because the articles themselves may vary widely in size and shape, it has been necessary in the past to provide a variety of differently sized and shaped fixtures for temporarily supporting the sensing devices thereon. Although effective, the provision of such a variety of differently sized and shaped fixtures has been found to be relatively cost ineffective.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a single fixture for quickly and easily supporting a sensing device, or a portion thereof, on a variety of differently sized and shaped articles and for protectively enclosing such a sensing device when the article is moved during use.
This invention relates to a fixture for quickly and easily supporting a sensing device, or portion thereof, on a variety of differently sized and shaped articles and for protectively enclosing such a sensing device when the article is moved during use. The fixture includes a base including a pair of spaced apart feet having respective inner surfaces that engage the outer surface of the article. The spaced apart feet defined a recessed area in the bottom surface of the base that can receive, and thereby accommodate, portions of the article therein regardless of the radius of curvature or other shape thereof. An enclosure area is provided in the base that can receive and retain a sensing device. The fixture further includes a lid that cooperates with the base to provide a protective enclosure for the enclosed area and the sensing device disposed therein. The lid can be retained on the base by any desired retaining structure. If desired, a seal can be provided between the lid and the base to prevent dirt, water, and other contaminants from entering into the enclosed area when the lid cooperates with the base. A counterweight can be supported on the outer surface of the article opposite to the base to reduce or eliminate any rotational imbalance in the article that would otherwise occur if only the base, the lid, and the sensing device were secured thereto.